🐟 AquaticCare difficulty: IntermediateLegal complexity: Low

Tiger shrimp

Caridina mariae · also called Tiger shrimp, Caridina cf. cantonensis 'Tiger', Black tiger shrimp, Blue tiger shrimp

A translucent dwarf shrimp marked with dark vertical 'tiger' stripes and often an orange head, available in many selectively bred color forms. It is a soft-water Caridina that is a good step up from beginner Neocaridina once your water chemistry is dialed in.

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Quick facts

Size	Dwarf; adults about 1-1.2 in (2.5-3 cm).
Lifespan	1–2 years
Social needs	group
Native region	Southern China (selectively bred from wild Caridina populations)
Origin	Old World
Climate	⛅ Subtropical
Water type	💧 Freshwater
Family	Atyidae
Genus	Caridina

Part of the Freshwater shrimp

Small atyid and palaemonid shrimp kept in planted aquariums as peaceful algae-grazers and colorful colony animals. Care ranges from beginner-friendly Neocaridina to demanding species like the Sulawesi shrimp that need precise, stable water chemistry.

Babaulti Shrimp Bamboo shrimp Bee shrimp Blue velvet shrimp Crystal red shrimp Ghost shrimp Malawa Shrimp Red Nose Shrimp Sulawesi cardinal shrimp Vampire shrimp

Habitat & space requirements

From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.

Photo coming soon

Minimum

Soft-water nano tank

10 gal (≈ 38 L), active substrate

Caridina cf. cantonensis 'tiger' (regular tigers) prefer soft, slightly acidic water (pH 6.5–7.2, GH 4–8, KH 1–4) and cool/moderate temperatures (20–24 °C). Keep on active soil with moss and IAL.

Photo coming soon

Recommended

Dedicated planted aquarium

20 gal (≈ 76 L), planted

A planted 20-gallon with active soil, sponge filter, moss/buce, and stable cool temperatures. Tigers are more tolerant than CRS but still parameter-sensitive — keep species-only.

Photo coming soon

Ideal

Show breeding aquarium

20–30 gal, planted, ATO

A larger planted breeding aquarium with parameter logging and ATO. 'Tangerine tiger', 'Royal blue tiger' and other selected morphs reward careful keeping.

Life & growth stages

How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.

Photo coming soon

Larva

Most marine invertebrates hatch into microscopic planktonic larvae (such as the zoea of crustaceans or the bipinnaria/veliger of echinoderms and mollusks) that drift and feed in the water column. The larva looks nothing like the adult and undergoes major reorganization.

Photo coming soon

Juvenile

After settling out of the plankton, the juvenile takes on a recognizable miniature of the adult body plan — a tiny shell, a small star, or a translucent shrimp. Crustaceans grow by molting, shedding the exoskeleton to enlarge.

Adult

Adults reach full size and reproductive maturity with the species' mature shell, shape, or coloration. Many continue to molt or grow throughout life, and some show sex differences in size or claw/appendage shape.

Color & pattern variants

Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.

Natural

representative

Tangerine Tiger

UncommonBeginner

A soft orange-tinted Caridina mariae form that is generally hardier and more water-tolerant than the high-grade selective lines.

Tip: The easiest tiger and a good gateway to Caridina — it tolerates a wider GH/TDS range than blue/black lines, so start here before attempting the demanding color morphs.

representative

Red Tiger / Red-eye Tiger →

CommonBeginner

The wild-type tiger pattern: translucent body with dark stripes and red eyes; the original form all selective lines descend from.

Tip: Hardiest of the tigers and the standard 'first Caridina' — keep them separate from orange-eye lines if you want to preserve OET stock, as crossing dilutes the orange eye.

representative

Super Tiger (Caridina cantonensis 'Super Tiger') →

UncommonIntermediate

A heavily striped, larger-banded tiger form with bold black-on-amber stripes; named for its exaggerated 'super' striping.

Tip: Needs the same soft, acidic, stable water as bee/crystal shrimp — run remineralized RO over active aquasoil and avoid sudden water-change swings that trigger bad molts.

Selectively bred (man-made)

representative

Black Tiger

UncommonIntermediate

Selectively bred line with an intense dark, near-black body and contrasting orange eyes; a popular high-grade tiger form.

Tip: The deep black holds best on dark substrate and stable soft water (TDS ~120-150, pH ~6.5-7.2); strong color is heritable, so cull pale individuals to keep the line dark.

representative

Blue Tiger

UncommonIntermediate

A line bred for blue body coloration with dark stripes and orange eyes; the blue intensity varies by grade.

Tip: Blue is fragile — it washes out under stress, bright light, or high TDS, so keep parameters rock-steady and lighting subdued to preserve the color you paid for.

representative

Orange-eye Tiger (OET)

UncommonIntermediate

Tigers selected for bright orange eyes, available in both blue-body and black-body versions; the orange eye is the defining heritable trait.

Tip: Orange eyes are recessive-leaning and easy to lose — keep an OET-only colony rather than mixing with red-eye tigers so the eye trait stays fixed.

representative

Galaxy Tiger / Fishbone Tiger →

RareAdvanced

A modern designer line crossing tiger genetics with high-grade bee shrimp to add white spotting ('galaxy') and fishbone-pattern legs; a premium collector hybrid.

Tip: Demanding and pricey — keep precise low-TDS soft water and a single dedicated tank; these complex hybrid lines throw variable offspring, so expect heavy culling to maintain the pattern.

representative

Orange-Eye Blue Tiger (OEBT) →

RareAdvanced

The most prized tiger: a deep blue body crossed with dark tiger stripes and bright orange eyes, combining the blue-tiger and orange-eye traits. Blue intensity ranges from pale 'royal blue' to near-black, and the orange eye is the defining recessive-leaning trait.

Tip: OEBT are far more demanding than tangerine or wild tigers: hold soft, stable low-TDS water and subdued lighting, since stress, bright light, or high TDS wash the blue toward grey. Keep an OEBT-only colony so the orange eye and blue body stay fixed.

Habitat & enclosure

Keep a colony in a planted, cycled tank of 5-10 gallons (20-40 L) or larger. Tigers prefer cooler, soft, slightly acidic water: temperature 68-77F (20-25C), pH 6.5-7.5, GH 4-6, KH 1-4, TDS roughly 100-200. They are more forgiving than crystal/bee shrimp but still want stable parameters. Provide plants, moss, driftwood, and leaf litter for grazing surfaces and cover. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and nitrate low.

Substrate

An inert substrate (sand or fine gravel) works for higher-pH lines, while an active buffering aquasoil suits lower-pH tiger forms. Add driftwood, botanicals, and moss to grow the biofilm they graze on.

Equipment & setup

Use a gentle sponge filter (safe for shrimplets), a heater only if the room runs cold (they like it on the cooler side), and a TDS/GH/KH test kit. Remineralized RO water gives the most control over the soft parameters they prefer. Moss and botanicals double as filtration aids and grazing surfaces.

Diet

An omnivorous biofilm and algae grazer. The base of the diet is biofilm and soft algae in a mature tank, supplemented a few times a week with shrimp pellets, blanched spinach or zucchini, leaf litter (Indian almond/oak), and occasional protein foods. Feed small portions and remove uneaten food to protect water quality. Females carry 20-30 eggs and produce fully formed miniature shrimp, so colonies grow steadily in good conditions.

Behavior & temperament

Peaceful, social, and constantly grazing; best kept in groups of 10 or more. They are non-aggressive and safe with snails and other peaceful dwarf shrimp, though crossbreeding with bee shrimp (Caridina cantonensis) can occur and muddy color lines. They are display animals, not handled. Tigers can interbreed with bee/crystal shrimp, so keep them separate if you want pure lines.

Health

Hardier than crystals but still sensitive to copper, ammonia/nitrite, and sudden chemistry changes. Most issues stem from unstable water, overfeeding, or copper contamination. Never use copper-based fish medications. Failed molts usually indicate GH/mineral imbalance; bacterial infections show as cloudy or discolored tissue. Drip-acclimate new shrimp, quarantine additions, and change water in small parameter-matched amounts.

Tips, DIY & hacks

Master Neocaridina first, then move to tigers as your introduction to soft-water Caridina. Keep them slightly cooler than tropical fish tanks. Do not house alongside bee/crystal shrimp unless you accept hybrids. Remineralize RO to a steady TDS target so molts go smoothly.

Sources

The Shrimp Farm - Tiger Shrimp Care Guide (care guide)
SeriouslyFish - Caridina mariae (database)
Wikipedia: Tiger shrimp (wiki)